Ever since the New York Rangers put out their letter to the fans on an upcoming rebuild, followers of the Montreal Canadiens have asked for the same thing.
“The Montreal Canadiens should follow what the New York Rangers did.” How many times has that sentence been used in some form over the last two days? It was a very honest and direct move for the Rangers management after letting their fans know via letter what the plans will be moving forward. Their days in the playoffs have lasted for a number of years, but the mentality now is to focus on getting younger and convert current roster players into pillars for the future.
Personally, I’m a fan of organizations being honest, so I definitely applaud the Rangers for that mood. There’s nothing more frustrating than a team telling you what they think they are and seeing the complete opposite. I know that sounded like a dig, but trust me, it wasn’t (well not fully at least).
Seeing as how the Habs are in a worse position then the Rangers are, there’s been a huge cry for Marc Bergevin and Geoff Molson to follow suit. However, it depends on a few things.
One, the Rangers decided they are going to rebuild and seem to be committed to it, the Habs have not. By the feel of management and talk among hockey analysts, Montreal could see this season as just that, this season and do work over at the deadline and over the summer to improve.
If the plan is to go on a short retool, then it may shoot themselves in the foot to put that in writing. Say the expected timeline was two to three years and then five passes you by and nothing has changed. The Habs may have a few moves planned, but it could just be those and then after it’s back to business.
Two, and I don’t know how important this would be to him, but the optics of it wouldn’t be ideal. Weeks ago Bergevin stood in front of the media and said that he believed the Habs could make the playoffs. To go from that to a letter further admitting a mistake is something management would probably want to avoid regardless if it’s fact.
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And three, you know what’s going on. Sure the details are still obscure, but it’s obvious the Habs are using the rest of the season to help shape a better future. The trades will come whether they’re now or at the deadline and that could speak more to the organization’s mentality than a letter.
Teams like to handle their things differently. Would it have been nice to get a statement from the organization? Probably. But we probably won’t hear a word from Bergevin until the offseason or if Max Pacioretty is moved.
Although addressing the fanbase could’ve provided a comforting blanket, at the same time, it would open the door to further over analysis and criticism depending on what the contents of said address are. Sometimes, it’s best to just stay quiet to avoid making things worse.
There are 28 games left before this season is over. Let’s just ride the rest of them off and then wait to see what management has to say.
Next: Trade Speculation With Calgary
Do you think management should’ve sent a letter to the fans? If so, what would you have wanted it to say? Let us know your thoughts down below.